The Secret Life of Mary Sue
by Bridgette Potter
Summary: Perfect little Mary Sue falls into her favorite book. She finds herself in a world she had only dreamed of. What is she going to do in a world of imperfection? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to hecilo for the idea of this story.

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The Secret Life of Mary Sue

Mary Sue Rogers came down the stairs with a smile on her face and gave her father who was reading the newspaper a peck on the cheek and gave one to her mother who was frying some eggs for her breakfast.

"Good morning Mom and Dad," she said brightly as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Good morning sweetie," answered her mother Mary Lou Rogers.

"Good morning darling," answered Larry Rogers.

"That looks great Mom," said Mary Sue.

"Thank you baby," said her mom as she put a plate in front of her perfect little daughter. "Now eat up. You got to go to school today."

"Yes, mom." Mary Sue ate every bit of her breakfast. As she passed the refrigerator she couldn't help but look at the report card she had gotten and looking at all the perfect A's printed in black and white. She got her school bag and her homework that she had done all on Friday. "Goodbye Mom and Dad. See you later right after school."

Her parents said goodbye to her as she walked out the door. They settled back into their normal morning ritual.

"How did we get so lucky that we got such a perfect little girl?" asked Mary Lou of Larry. Larry just shrugged and continued to read the paper.

Mary Sue got onto the bus with a bright smile at the bus driver and sat with her friends in the back. One of the guys pulled on one of her perfect brown ringlets teasingly.

"So how's life being little miss perfect Mary Sue?"

"Billy, you silly goose, no one's perfect. Although some people like to think they are."

"If you ask anyone who knows you they would call you perfect. All the teachers are delighted that you're in their classes. You do all the homework before it's even assigned. You even won the heart of grouchy Mrs. Sando the lunch lady who says she hates all kids."

"Mrs. Sando does love kids. Why else would she be serving lunch to kids?"

"It was the only job she could get," muttered Liv, Mary Sue's best friend.

"She could always have moved but she didn't and got a job as a lunch lady at the high school. So she must like kids when she could have moved far away from us."

Everyone dropped the conversation. It was no changing Mary Sue's perfect look on life.

When they got to school Mary Sue instead of going with her friends to hang out by the lockers until the first bell rang went to Mr. Heaney's class. He had said he wanted her to drop by before school because he wanted to show her something. She liked Mr. Heaney, he was her English teacher of 11th grade and they were talking about an author by the name of J.R.R. Tolkien who had lived in England and had written some of the major classics of his time. He had assigned them to read The Hobbit and she had already finished it along with the trilogy that came after it before most of her class had gotten the middle of The Hobbit.

She knocked on Mr. Heaney's classroom door and it swung open. "Mr. Heaney? Are you there?" she called. He didn't answer and she was about to close the door and leave when she heard some unknown words spoken behind her. She turned and saw on her desk a book. She walked over to her desk wondering what it was. She got closer and saw that it was an old copy of The Two Towers of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It definitely looked old it possibly could be a first printing.

She reached out a hand as some unknown language pulled her closer. She almost snatched her hand back because she wasn't sure if she should look at it. Then the unknown words told her if she wasn't supposed to see it why else would it be on her desk when Mr. Heaney was supposed to show her something? She touched the cover and braced herself expected something to happen. She laughed at herself for her crazy imagination and looked at the cover illustration of a dark brooding tower. She flipped open the cover and saw scrawled on the cover page, 'To Tim Heaney, from your friend J.R.R. Tolkien.'

Her eyes widened. She didn't know that Mr. Heaney had been friends with J.R.R. Tolkien who had written the best books she had ever read. This was crazy. Why didn't Mr. Heaney tell anyone that he knew the author of the books he had assigned them?

She flipped to the beginning of the story hoping there was something else in it that would explain her teacher's relationship with J.R.R. Tolkien. As she turned the page there came a bright light from the seam of the pages that sort of ate away at the page. She shielded her face from the brightness and felt herself being beckoned. She tilted forward and impossibly fell through the pages into the land beyond.

The book gently landed back on the desk showing no sign of what had happened except a book bag on the floor with the initials of Mary Sue Roger.


	2. Chapter 2

Mary Sue woke up in a bed of leaves and held her hand to her head

Mary Sue woke up in a bed of leaves and held her hand to her head. She looked around and saw that she was in some sort of ruins. There were fallen statues of long forgotten kings and some crumbling shells of buildings.

'Where am I?' she thought.

She heard voices ahead. She cautiously stood up and inched forward hoping not to be caught spying on them. She looked around a half gone wall and her eyes widened at what she saw. She saw a man lying at the foot of a great tree with many black arrows piercing him and kneeling beside him was a rough looking man with green clothing and standing a ways off was a dwarf and an elf.

"Boromir? Aragorn? Legolas? Gimli? How can this be?"

She slumped against the wall in a daze. What happened? Then she remembered what had happened in Mr. Heaney's classroom with the signed copy of The Two Tower. Her hand flew to her mouth. She was _in_ the book? How did this happen? She gave a sob. She didn't know what she was going to do to get back.

"You hear that?" growled a voice, which guessed came from Gimli. She chocked off her sob hoping they wouldn't hear her.

"Hear what Gimli?" asked a light voice, which must have been from Legolas.

"I thought I heard a noise from there."

She stood still thinking that they had found her. Her breath came quicker from fright like a frightened rabbit. She closed her eyes hoping they wouldn't find her and kill her. She heard some heavy footsteps walk away and gave a sigh of relief thinking they were leaving. Now all she had to worry about was how to get back to school.

Then the elf leaped out from behind the wall with his bow drawn and pointed at her. She gave a squeak when she saw how deadly it looked when it was pointed at her heart.

Legolas got a look at his quarry and lowered his bow down a fraction. His beautiful face got a puzzled look on his face. He spoke some unknown words to the tall man watching the unmoving body of his friend. Aragorn came over and looked with surprise at the teenage girl who was looking cross-eyed at the arrow Legolas had pointed at her with her chest heaving from fright.

"Where is he? Where is the spy?" growled Gimli as he rounded the other corner expecting an orc or an evil man but saw instead a teenage girl half scared out of her wits.

"Well that isn't much of a spy," pointed out Gimli.

Aragorn held out his hands to show that he was unarmed except he had a sword and a knife at his belt and a bow at his back. "We mean you no harm. What is your name young mistress?"

"M-Mary S-Sue," she stammered.

"Mary Sue?" He put his hand on Legolas's bow and mad him turn it down to the ground. "What are you doing here Mary Sue?"

She shook her head not knowing what to say. They would look at her as if she was crazy if she told the she fell through a book. Quick, what was she going to do? If she made a break for it they could just pick her off with their bows. But then they might be able to help her get back home. Home. She started to cry thinking that she might never get back home.

Gimli shuffled his feet uncomfortably as Aragorn looked at Legolas as if asking what to do. None of them knew what to do when a child cried so Aragorn kneeled down and patted her on the back lightly.

She stopped crying and wiped her eyes. She looked up at Aragorn with red eyes. "Could you help me?"

Aragorn looked at his companions who just shrugged. "We can try but I can't promise anything."

"I'm trying to get home."

"Which land are you from? We are close to Rohan if that is where you live."

"I don't live there."

"Are you from Gondor?"

She shook her head as he listed off the lands of Middle–earth.

Frustrated he said, "Well then you don't live in Middle-earth at all!" He threw up his arms in exasperation.

"Exactly."

All three of them looked at her with puzzlement. "Do you mean to tell us you are from another land lassie?" growled Gimli.

She nodded. Then she told them that somehow she had landed here from her world with the help of some sort of magic. When she was done explaining Aragorn and Gimli looked at Legolas and asked if such magic was true.

Legolas shrugged. "I do not know all kinds of magic. It is possible."

Aragorn sat thinking a moment. "If only Gandalf was with us," he muttered, "He would know how to send this child back." He looked at her for a moment trying to figure out what they were going to do with her. They certainly couldn't leave her there by herself. The orcs might think they hadn't gotten all the hobbits, come back and slay her. There was only one option. He got up and had a conference with Legolas and Gimli about what to do with her.

As they talked Mary Sue checked her self to make sure nothing was hurt. Amazingly there wasn't a bruise on her body. She combed her fingers through her hair trying to get all the leaves out when Aragorn told her they were taking her with them until they came to a suitable land to keep her until they could figure out what to do with her. Then briefly he told her that they will be following some friends of theirs who were captured earlier.

"Since you will be traveling with us you should know our names. I'm Aragorn son of Arathorn. This is Legolas of Mirwood and this is Gimli son of Gloin."

She got up and bowed to each of them like she expected they did when introduced and couldn't help but notice the looks she was getting from her clothes. Of course the women they see wear skirts and not pants. At least she was wearing a blouse today or else she would have gotten boggle-eyes from her usual t-shirts.

"Do the woman wear trousers where you come from?" asked Gimli. She nodded her head and Gimli just shook his head in wonder.

Aragorn looked away from her bewildered and remembered that they should do something with Boromir's body so no foul beast can feast on him. "We'll be right back Mary Sue. You just wait here."

So Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli prepared Boromir for his last rest. They placed him in one of the boats from Lorien with his sword and horn and sang a song of the winds seeking Boromir.

Mary Sue watched them far off as they said goodbye to their companion. A tear rolled down her face at what she was witnessing. This was always her least favorite part of the books.


	3. Chapter 3

The remaining three of the Fellowship came back to Mary Sue and started their trek to find Pippin and Merry

The remaining three of the Fellowship came back to Mary Sue and started their trek to find Pippin and Merry. Aragorn and Legolas set a quick pace once they broke through the woods and were in the plains that were part of Rohan. They traveled across the plains until they came to the feet of stony hills. Here they slowed though they went as fast as they safely could. Here was the beginning of the Emyn Muil and Mary Sue couldn't help but feel defeated already. They had traveled at such a pace for about a day. Though she did do a lot of running at home and was the fastest endurance runner on the track team she just wasn't as enduring as the others and was usually a good few feet behind them. They often had to wait for her and felt sorry that they were setting such a quick pace but they had to hurry and reach the orcs before they got to Isengard.

That night after the moon had set they reached the first and tallest ridge and went down a deep valley where they lost the trail. There they rested for a moment and Mary Sue collapsed onto a rock. She was so tired she thought she was going to pass out. She tied her hair back so it wouldn't keep getting in her eyes.

She closed her eyes just for a second she thought and woke up when Gimli shook her and said, "Better get up lassie. We'll be going soon."

She saw that the sun was now shining into the valley and saw Aragorn looking around at the ground looking for a trail.

"Which way did they go?" asked Legolas. "Northward to take a shorter road to Isengard, or Fangorn as you guessed they are aiming to go? Or south to the Entwash?"

"They will not make for the river, whatever mark they aim at," said Aragorn. "And unless there is much amiss in Rohan and the power of Saruman is greatly increased, they will take the shortest way that they can find over the fields of the Rohirrim. Let us search northwards!"

They went on for a mile or more before Legolas a ways ahead gave a cry. The others came running and saw on the ground five orc bodies. Mary Sue felt she was going to be sick. They had been hewn with many cruel strokes, and two had been beheaded. One of the heads was looking straight at her with its sightless eyes with a snarl on its cruel lips. The ground was wet with their dark blood.

"What happened?" asked Mary Sue looking away from the snarling head.

"There was a quarrel, I guess: it is no uncommon thing with these foul folk. Maybe there was some dispute about the road."

"Or about the captives," said Gimli. "Let us hope that they, too, did not meet their end here."

Aragorn searched but could not find any other traces of the fight. They went on and a little farther north they came to a fold with a small stream. Falling and winding it had cut a stony path down into the valley. There were some bushes and grass growing on the sides. And in the mud they could see the tracks of iron clad feet. At least they knew which way their quarry went. They continued on their journey with Aragorn scanning the ground around them for tracks.

Slowly the valley rose up until they came to a crest and before them was the lush green fields of the horse lords. From there they could see a big dark blur moving over the fields heading northwest.

"It is a great company on foot. I can not tell if they be what we are hunting but they are running in the direction of Isengard," said Legolas standing on a rock higher than the others. "It hard to tell how far away they are, twelve leagues I'll guess."

"Then let us find a quick way down to the fields," said Gimli finding that they had their quarry in their sights.

They followed the orcs's path and were soon knee deep in grass. Mary Sue couldn't help but take a deep breath and smile. There was a smell that drifted toward her as if it was just one huge garden like her mother had in the backyard. She had always wondered what Rohan looked like too.

Out of all the peoples of Middle-earth other than the gentle hobbits she loved the Rohirrim. She would have liked to stay there a moment more but the others were already following the trail. All this running was tiring her out quickly and when Aragorn gave a cry she used her last bought of strength to see what he had found.

When she saw what he had in his hand Aragorn said, "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall. One of the hobbits must have dropped this." In his hand was a cloak pin that looked like a newly opened leaf of a beech tree.

"So at least one of them was alive," said Gimli, "And had the use of his wits."

While they were talking Mary Sue couldn't take it anymore and leaned against a nearby boulder. She could feel tears threatening to fall. She just couldn't do this. All this running was too much for her though she had thought she was in perfect condition. What was wrong with her? They might as well just leave her right there as much good she was. All she did was slow them down.

While sitting in her despair she really thought there was no way she was going to get home. Although she knew Gandalf reappeared later in the story she doubted he knew how to send her back. She would have to spend the rest of her life in a medieval-like world where she would have to spend the last of the dieing years alone probably unless she found a man and had a bunch of babies. There went her hopes for going to a good collage and finding her perfect man and having two children with a dog and a white picket fence. That's when the tears began to fall down her dirt smudged face making twin rivers down her cheeks.

And Billy had called her perfect. If she was so perfect she would know how to get back or she might have known better than to open that book without Mr. Heaney's permission. She wiped her eyes. There was no reason to cry over spilled milk. What's done is done. She just has to grin and bear it.

She looked at the setting sun and instead of grinning and bearing it her head drooped and she quickly fell asleep. When the others had decided to stay there for the night and were looking for her Legolas found her leaning against the boulder asleep.

They left her where she was and laid down for sleep. Legolas couldn't help but notice when he had spotted her that there were tear streaks on her face but had a smile on her lips.


	4. Chapter 4

Mary Sue woke up hearing the others talking

Mary Sue woke up hearing the others talking. She stretched and opened her eyes. She had such a nice dream. She was back at home but had brought back Aragorn with her. Liv her best friend had seen the movies and absolutely loved the character of Strider. She had brought him back for Liv to meet and he was quite charming to her. She looked over at Aragorn and shook her head. That was so silly. Aragorn was betrothed to Arwen, why would he go with her to a world were he would never see his intended again.

Legolas noticed she was awake and threw her a piece of thin bread. She had wondered what lembas bread tasted like though they described it in the book. It was a bit sweet from the honey but it was certainly dry and usually had to be washed down with water.

They continued on their journey following the tracks that went straight toward Isengard. They went on all day without any other interruptions in the trail. Mary Sue still lagged behind a bit but she was building her strength from running all day. She realized that when she got back she could end up the best of her district from all this. She smiled at the thought of beating her friends in the other schools.

Aragorn seemed a bit troubled so one time when they had to wait for her Mary Sue asked Aragorn what was the matter. He answered, "These lands are empty and the quiet does not seem of peace. Though the horse lords mostly live many leagues to the south they formally keep many herds and studs in the Eastemnet, this easterly region of their realm."

"Are you sure they didn't just move?"

Aragorn just shook his head and kept on going.

They stopped once on a ridge where the grass grew shorter and the orc-trail grew fainter. Aragorn had Legolas look out and while Legolas looked ahead for their quarry Aragorn said, "There is something strange at work in this land. I distrust the silence and I am weary as I have seldom been before, weary as no Ranger should be with a clear trial to follow. There is some will that lends speed to our foes and sets an unseen barrier before us: a weariness that is in the heart more than in the limb."

Legolas came back and said, "That I have known since first we came down from the Emyn Muil. For the will is not behind us but before us." He pointed in the direction of Isengard.

"Saruman!" muttered Aragorn. "But we will not turn back!"

So they kept on hoping to reach the orcs before they made it to the darkness of the trees that lead the way to Saruman.

They stopped again when Aragorn could no longer see the trail. Legolas wanted to keep going but Aragorn said that if they kept going they may miss a turning in the trail and by the time they realized their mistake that it would take a to big a delay to find it again.

That night as she was about to lay down and get some much-needed sleep Aragorn came over and handed her something. She took it and noticed it was a dagger.

The sheath was of simple black leather with a word stamped on it in runes. She slowly pulled out the dirk, which was about a foot long. Her eyes got round as she took it in. In the fading light the red of the sun reflected on it like it fresh blood on the blade. It was double-edged and of a shiny metal, which she guessed was steel or even mirthril. The handle fit nicely in her hand and was wrapped in red leather with a black cord twined around between the edges of the red. It had a silver guard that curved sharply towards the blade. The cap at the end was also of silver and had a rune stamped in it also.

Aragorn saw how she took in the beauty of the small dirk he had given her. He had made it himself in the forges of Rivendell when he had lived there before he had gone on his many dark journeys.

"I don't really expect you to fight but if the need arises this will become useful."

"Thank you, Aragorn," she said as she looked away from the dagger that might save her life one day. "But what do the runes say?"

"On the sheath it says, 'Protection' and on the hilt cap is the rune I use to sign my name."

"So you made it?"

Aragorn nodded and left her to sleep. She sheathed her new weapon and gazed at the runes on the sheath.

"I shall call you…" she searched for a name until the name Aman Wen came to mind. She didn't know where the word came from but it seemed to fit. "Aman Wen." She decided to ask Legolas later what the words meant.

They woke up before dawn and went on with their hunt. Aragorn before they had left said he had thought that while he slept that he heard the hooves of many horses thundering over the plains but were heading north.

As the sun began to rise Legolas came to a halt and cried, "It is a red dawn. Strange things await us by the eaves of the forest. Good or evil, I do not know."

They continued again until following with his keen eyes towards the forest Aragorn saw a shadow on the distant green, a dark swift-moving blur. He cast himself down and listened to the ground intently. Legolas stood beside him and shading his sharp elven eyes with his slender hand saw not a shadow or blur but many horsemen and the glint of the sun on their spears. Beyond them a dark smoke rose in thin curling threads.

"Riders!" cried Aragorn getting up. "Many riders on swift steeds are coming our way!"

"Yes," said Legolas, "There are one hundred and five. Yellow is their hair, and bright are their spears. Their leader is very tall."

Aragorn smiled, "Keen are the eyes of Elves."

"The riders are but little more than five leagues distant," said Legolas.

"Five leagues or one," said Gimli, "we cannot escape them in this bare land. Shall we wait for them or go on our way?"

Mary Sue fidgeted even though she knew who was riding towards them. She had no idea how a girl greeted a noble. She wasn't even sure what was Eomer's title. She just hoped she wasn't addressed.

"We will wait," said Aragorn. "I am weary and our hunt has failed. Or at least others were before us. These horsemen are coming back up the orc-trail. We may get news from them."

"Or spears," grumbled Gimli.

"There are three empty saddles, but I see no hobbits," said Legolas.

Mary Sue strained to see the riders but could see only a shadow a ways off.

"I did not say we would hear good news," said Aragorn. "But evil or good we will wait here."

They climbed down the hill they had been on, where they might be an easy mark against the pale sky and hid between some boulders near the foot. Mary Sue huddled with them as the sound of thunderous hooves approached. The sound was deafening and she covered her ears. Now they could hear the cries of clear strong voices suddenly they swept up with a noise like a roar and the foremost horseman passed with a cry to encourage his companions.

In pairs they galloped by, and thought every now and then one would rise in his stirrups and gaze ahead or to either side. They did not appear to notice the four strangers sitting silently and watching them.

The host had almost passed when Aragorn stood up and called in a loud voice, "What news from the North, Riders of Rohan?"

The riders soon wheeled around and charged to surround the four strangers that had mysteriously popped up. Soon they found themselves surrounded by the big horses of the Rohirrim.

At first Mary Sue felt scared at the big beasts were surely bigger than the ones at the stable she rode at. But after smelling the familiar scent of horse and sweat she calmed down and waited with the others for the outcome.

As the horses closed in on them a thicket of spears were pointed towards the strangers and some of the horsemen had arrows cocked in their bows waiting for a slight movement of ill work. Then one rode forward with a helm that had a white horsetail crest. He advanced until the point of his spear was within a foot of Aragorn's heart.

"What business does a Man, a Woman, an Elf and a Dwarf have in Rohan?" asked the tall rider. He looked at Mary Sue funny when he saw how she was dressed but left her be.

"I'll give you mine if you give me yours horse master," said Gimli seeing if he could anger the horselord.

"I would cut off your head, Master Dwarf if it stood but a little higher from the ground," growled the Rider.

"You would die before your stroke fell," said Legolas knocking his bow faster than sight.

The spears moved in closer and Mary Sue found herself staring cross-eyed at a spear point.

"I'm known as Strider I know Theoden your king," interrupted Aragorn lowering Legolas's bow. "This is Mary Sue daughter of…"

"Larry and Mary Lou Rogers," she supplied a bit hesitantly. She couldn't remember if they had last names in Middle-earth but she didn't want to lie about her identity. Saying their names brought up the reminder that there was a possibility she might not see them again and tears threatened to spill down her face. What an impression she would give if the first time she met Eomer she was crying! She covered her face and looked away from everyone.

Aragorn looked at her a bit uneasy before continuing on with the introductions. "This is Legolas of Mirkwood and Gimli son of Gloin. We come out of the North and are hunting orcs. A pack of them have taken a couple of our friends captive."

The Rider climbed off his horse after giving his spear to another horseman. He took off his helmet and at the trust the leader had in the strangers the other riders lowered their spears and bows.

"I am Eomer son of Eomund. Theoden doesn't recognize friend from foe not even his own kin. I'm sorry to say but we caught up with a pack not two days ago and slaughtered them."

"Hobbits? Did you see two hobbits with them?" asked Gimli grasping at straws when he realized what could have happened to their friends.

"Perian. They're small. They would but look like small children to your eyes," explained Aragorn.

"We left none alive."

"Dead?" whispered Gimli.

Eomer nodded his head. "We burned their carcasses as is our custom," he said as he pointed toward the thin smoke Legolas had noticed earlier.

Eomer thought for a moment before calling, "Hasufel! Arod! Estel!" Three horses came to his call and stood patiently by as he said, "May these horses give you better fortune, my friends. Seek but do not hope. It's forsaken in these lands." And with that he mounted his great bay and cried to the men of his company, "We ride dawn!" They rode off east as they four companions got up on their mounts.

Hasufel was a great bay horse that was given to Aragorn. He seemed strong-spirited but Aragorn soothed him with unknown words and he responded to Aragorn's touch well. Arod was a smaller and lighter horse, but restive and fiery. Legolas lightly jumped on his back and the horse tamed down as all good beasts do with an elven touch. Gimli grumbled as he was put onto the horse behind Legolas and was not much at ease than Sam Gamgee in a boat. Estel was an even smaller horse. He was black and a rather passive horse compared to the other two.

When Mary Sue settled in the saddle it felt like this horse was born for her. It whinnied as if to agree to her thoughts. She patted his neck and noticed that Aragorn seemed disturbed about something. She looked at herself to see what had caused his look then realized that he wasn't used to seeing women riding like men. Well, he'll just have to get used to the way she did things. She smiled at him, urged her horse forward and went on toward the smoke that still curled faintly.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up you guys. I was really stuck trying to figure out what Gandalf's reaction to Mary Sue being there would be. If you ever noticed he doesn't talk any females through out the books/movies so I was thinking that he might be sexist. Anyway... I hope you enjoy this! And I'm sorry again it took me so long to get this up.

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Mary Sue was the first one to reach the pile of burning bodies the Riders had told them about. Next to the pile of burning orc flesh she saw a spear stuck in the ground like some sort of flagpole and it had something dark and lumpish on the spear point. When she got closer she saw it was an orc head with the mouth twisted into a death grimace with the tongue hanging out. She looked away from the horrible sight as Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli unmounted.

They walked near the pile of stink and Gimli started digging through it with the end of his ax looking for a sign that maybe Merry and Pippin had met their end at the end of a Rohan sword after all. Legolas had his eyes closed, had his hand on his heart and was muttering an elvish prayer for the dead when Gimli gave a cry and showed them a small belt of wrought gold.

"It's one of theirs," he said without needing to.

It was too small and ornate for an orc so they thought their worst nightmares had come true when Aragorn studying the ground gave a call, " A hobbit lay here." They gathered around as he continued with his diagnostic of the ground with his keen Ranger eyes. His hand moved over about a foot. "And another here." He gave a sigh thinking he had found their final resting place when he scanned ahead and saw some invisible track. "They crawled. Their hands were bound." He started to follow the story the land told him. "Then their bounds were cut." He picked up some frayed bits of rope and found the ax lying near by which they had cut the rope with. "The tracks lead away from the battle," he cried excited with a glimmer of hope that the hobbits had gotten away. "They were followed and ran right into Fangorn Forest."

"What madness drove them there?" asked Gimli. Just then the horses ran off with a cry of delight as if they had seen someone they greatly loved.

Mary Sue gave a start and was thinking of seeing if she could see where they were going but Aragorn had already said, "We must forget the horses and hope we can find our friends. Even on foot."

Gimli opened his mouth to say something about stories he had heard of the forest when Legolas who was stooping forward as if he were listening and peering into the shadows. "No it is not evil; or what is evil is in it is far away. I catch only the faintest echoes of dark places where the hearts of the trees are black. There is no malice near us; but there is watchfulness and anger."

"Well, it has no cause to be angry with me," said Gimli. "I have done it no harm."

"That is just as well," said Legolas. "But nonetheless it has suffered harm. There is something happening, or going to happen. Do you feel the tenseness? It takes my breath."

"I feel the air is stuffy. This wood is lighter than Mirkwood, but it is musty and shabby," said Gimli uncaringly.

"It is old, very old. So old I feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children. It is old and full of memory. I could have been happy here, if I had come in days of peace," said Legolas as he gazed longingly at the trees.

"I still don't like the idea of going in here," grumbled Gimli as they started their trek through the gloom of the trees.

Mary Sue stayed close to Gimli knowing that he wasn't as fast as Aragorn and Legolas but he had a spirit as big as a troll. Gimli seemed to like her near because he started to talk to her. He told her some stories of the dwarfs. She thought it was fascinating and Gimli seemed to stand taller with pride as his audience became more enthralled in his tales.

Suddenly Legolas gave a low hiss for them to quiet and Gimli stopped in the middle of a sentence. They stood still peering into the endless shadows as Legolas watched as something came closer.

"The White Wizard approaches," he whispered.

Aragorn gave a silent nod in understanding and gripped his sword at his side. He had his back to the approaching figure that they now could see was cloaked in a bright light.

"Do not let him speak, or he will put a spell on us!" he whispered urgently.

They all gripped their weapons and Legolas strung an arrow into his bow. Mary Sue nervously clutched at the hilt of the dagger at her side. She knew who it was but she had to pretend that she was ready to defend herself. She tried to calm herself down with some deep breaths but that didn't work because she was thinking that maybe it wasn't Gandalf after all. The figure seemed too tall and she was wondering what could have been messed up after she had fallen through.

She hadn't even thought of that before. What if when she fell through she messed up the whole balance of things and now was going to pay for it. She didn't know how the gods of Middle Earth worked. She started sweating as the figure took forever to get closer to them.

She thought she felt something like film go over her eyes. She slowly waved her hand in front of her face and started to panic because she couldn't see! She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't get a thing out. Just then she heard a shout and a commotion but the blood in her head was pounding and the world started spinning as the ground came up to meet her. And she knew no more.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When she came to, everyone was crowding around her anxious about what had happened. Aragorn looked down at her with concerned eyes.

"What happened Mary Sue?"

"I don't know," she said puzzled. "I remember that I couldn't see or talk and then I fell. I think I fainted." She frowned. She had never fainted before in her life. She had always been in perfect health and mental balance. There was no explanation for what had just happened. Then she remembered who had approached them. She quickly propped herself on her elbows and looked around and near by she found an old man dressed in rags sitting on a rock smoking a pipe.

Aragorn followed her gaze and said, "That is Gandalf, an old friend to all of us."

Mary Sue frowned yet felt relieved. She hadn't messed up the balance of things after all. Yet.

Gandalf turned toward the group and said, "I'm sorry my dear but I wasn't sure who you were. It was my fault you fainted thought your female nerves might have had some input to your fainting."

"Female nerves?! What's wrong with my nerves?"

Gandalf shook his head like an adult to a child. "Nothing, nothing. Your nerves are perfectly functioning the way they should for one of your disposition."

"My disposition?"

"Yes, someone of the female disposition are prone to be somewhat weaker of the nerves than of men. Hasn't your father told you this?"

"No, my dad believes that women can be as strong as men."

Gandalf's eyebrows drew together into a V and he peered at her closely. "You would think that, wouldn't you? You're not of Middle Earth."

"No, she's not. We found her a few days boat ride from Lorien. We're helping her find a way back to where ever she had come from," said Aragorn.

"There may not be a way to get her back."

Mary Sue felt the tears spring to her eyes. That was it. There was no hope for her now. Even the White Wizard said it wouldn't be possible to get her back home. She would never see her mom or dad ever again, laugh with Liv, or do any of the many things she had planned to do once she got out of school. She was doomed to spend the rest of her life as a farmer's wife with many squalling babies or get a job as a cook or maid and still rear someone's squalling babes.

There was no hope for her.


End file.
